After Hank had left, Rogue’s former catatonic condition resumed. Her empty eyes kept staring on Logan ignoring everything around her. The questions her brother asked still hang in the air, when Dr. Wilson returned to check onto his two favorite patients.

He saw Rogue also as his patient – she was everything else than fine in his eyes. A moment he thought about speaking with her parents, but those two seemed to have lost the bond with their daughter long ago. He noted the still untouched lunch that stood on the table. Wilson wondered if it wasn’t necessary for her to eat due to her or more her borrowed regeneration ability or if her condition was already so serious that she didn’t want to eat.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Mrs. D’Ancanto watched her daughter more afraid of her than ever before; fearing the other personalities would take over any moment. She almost jumped when Rogue suddenly stood up and moved over to Logan. But to her surprise her daughter said a gentle “Hey.”

Rogue felt Wolverine finally wake up. “How are ya?”

Logan slowly opened his eyes getting used to the light. “You got me pretty hard, darlin’.” Holding his head he carefully sat up in his bed and noticed her troubled features. “You know I’m fine.” He was so glad to see her stand before him alive. “The question is: How are you?” He asked tentatively knowing her nightmare came to reality.

Big tears welled up in her eyes and made their way down her flushed cheeks. “Ya should have let me die than to allow this curse to return!” It suddenly broke out off her.

“Don’t say such stupid things, Marie!” His hand moved towards hers.

“No!” She stepped back. “Stay away from me!” Her scream startled a few nurses, Dr. Wilson and the FBI agents in the hallway. Logan swung his legs over the edge of his bed and remained a moment in this position shaking the dizziness from his head and removing the IV from his arm. Then he slowly stood up and approached the traumatized girl that was curled up to a ball on the floor, arms hugging her legs to her chest. Wolverine noted the long sleeved shirt and the gloves his Rogue wore, hiding her skin from the world. Tentatively he held his hand towards her. “Don’t dare to touch me!” Rogue looked up from her knees, her eyes red from crying. Logan’s heart broke at this view. He had to hold her, lessen her misery. “Noooooo!” she screamed as he slung his arms around her small fragile frame and carefully pulled her body onto his lap.

“Let go off me!” Sobbing hysterically Rogue struggled in vain against his touch. “Ah don’t wanna hurt ya again!”

He held her close to his chest, not letting go. “You did nothing wrong! You didn’t hurt me!”

“Bullshit! Ya were in a coma for two days!”

“And?! It was my decision, damnit!” Logan swallowed hard before he continued in a more gentle tone, squeezing her body lightly. “I’m so sorry, Marie. It’s my fault. I couldn’t loose you. I prayed for your mutation to come back…. Despite the knowledge how much you would suffer. I’m so sorry. I just couldn’t let you die there.” He made her look up from his chest, their gazes locked. “I’m so sorry. You have to believe me, Marie!”

Rogue starred long in his hazel eyes, seeing the guilt and fear in them. Fear for her. She also didn’t want to loose him. In her mind she could feel his fear for her. He was so afraid to loose her back then. Slowly the young woman lifted her gloved hand to cup his bearded cheek. “Ah know, sugar.” She snuggled her face back into his chest, the light blue hospital cloth separating them.

They sat together on the cold hospital floor, the audience in the corridor before the room and her family behind them didn’t dare to disturb the couple. A few tears still found their way to Rogue’s bright eyes and down her cheeks while Logan stroke her back gently.

After an eternity the young mutant whispered under her breath. “Just why did that fucking cure not last?” She looked up once more searching for answers in her friend’s face, but she only found an angry frown.

“’Cause there is nothin' to cure! It is how we are! Maybe we are jokes of nature, but that is just what we are. That’s no sickness that needs to be cured!” Logan yelled down on her sounding a little like Magneto.

“Ya don’t understand me! Nobody does! Mah mutation is a curse! Mah powers are deadly to the ones Ah love!” A sob escaped her throat. “Ah just want a normal life! So badly!”

“I don’t say I would understand how you feel, darlin’, but it doesn’t matter if you have your powers or not. You are you. You are my Marie.” Carefully he placed a kiss on the top of her head remembering Ororo’s name for their powers. “We’ll find a way to cope with your gift. I promise, we will.”

“How?” A spark of hope flickered in her chocolate eyes.

A minute passed by and Wolverine considered their options. “Best is we return to the mansion.” Immediately he felt her muscles tense.

“No. Ah can’t go back there! They despise me!” Terror was evident in her features.

“Calm down, Marie! If you don’t want then we won’t go. ‘K?” He felt her nod against his broad chest. “I will think of something else then.” For the second time silence fell upon them and when Rogue had finally stopped crying and broke their embrace, both mutants stood up and moved over to the bed.

“Fuck! Does privacy say something to you!” growled Wolverine eventually noticing the people gathered up before the large windows to his room. Unconsciously he clenched his fists and moved in a protective position before Rogue when he caught sight of the two nurses and a doctor entering the room.

Immediately the young woman saw this change and rushed over to his side grasping his large fist with her small hands, calming him at once. “It’s fine. Dr. Wilson was so kind to treat ya.”

Logan traded a short gaze with his Marie relaxing his tensed muscles. “Thanks, doc.” He then growled in a more friendly way.

“You are quite an interesting patient.” The physician gestured the tall man to take a seat on the bed.

“Oh, really?!” Chuckling sarcastically Logan followed the order. “Were it my fast healin' or the X-ray scans?!”

“Both. … Would you please remove your shirt? I wanna check on your wounds.”

“I’m fine, doc.” Shaking his head, Logan unbuttoned the shirt and began to remove the bandages from his torso. Amazement was evident on the nurses’ and the doctor’s faces when the blood soaked fabric revealed not even a single scratch or scar on his skin. “See, I’m fin- What the fuck?! You stitched me up!” His eyes remained disbelieving on a black yarn adhered with his skin.

“Told ya he wouldn’t be thrilled.” Rogue stated matter of fact watching Logan’s gaze travel through the room. Unable to find what he’d desired he slit one of his razor sharp adamatium claws on his right hand out and pierced his abdomen along the stitches pulling the yarn out before the fresh wound could close. “Shit!” he hissed trying to ignore the stinging pain.

“Ya had to do this, Logan?” Rogue lifted one eye brow unconsciously copying his trademark.

Having finished his surgery he wiped the blood off. “Yeah, I had to.”

“Bullshit! Ya’re such a jerk!”

“Watch your mouth, Rogue!” An eyebrow went up. “I really rub off on you!?”

“Your charming personality just comes along with the healing.” Rogue smiled evilly.

Slipping down from the bed the mutant went to the trash bin disposing the bandages before graping his jeans and shirt that lay neatly folded on a table. “True. Jean said something like that once.” With that said Logan vanished in the bathroom.

Their audience was still startled about the surgery. Wilson neared Rogue noting her positive change in mood. “Seems like your friend is fine. I’ll get the FBI, so they can finish their investigation.”

“Thank ya, doc.”

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Sadness and guild welled up in Marie’s mother’s stomach, when she watched a complete stranger, a mutant, an animal in human form, comforting lovingly her little girl without hesitation. It was her duty as a mother to calm the hysterically cries of her eldest child, but her fear of her daughter was much greater than the fear for her. So she just watched the scene finally noting and beginning to understand that her girl suffered under her mutation and just wanted to be loved.

That man was right: Marie was Marie, her soul hadn’t changed. She was still the sweet girl that dreamed of a city travel through Canada. On the other hand her mother saw a matured young woman who led a complete different life than her baby girl had. She learned that when they first met after all those years. Marie had grown up, she had seen that in the young woman’s eyes.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

When Logan left the bathroom a shower later, wearing his white t-shirt and blue jeans, two new faces were already waiting for him. Before he walked over to Rogue, his eyes fell upon the cold and untouched lunch on the table. He stopped next to her mustering the red haired woman and her partner. “FBI? CIA? Or even Homeland Security?”

“FBI.” Answered the man. “I’m special agent Hood and this is special agent O’Neill. We already spoke with all other witnesses including Rogue.”

By now O’Neill had listened to the recording. “She already handed over some very interesting evidences. Your questioning should be a mere formality.”

“Good to hear.” Logan frowned. “What evidences?!” He was quite startled. “What happened after I was down?” The danger he had left the people in finally dawned on him. “How did we get out?”

The agents knew the mutant had been woken up not even half an hour ago and there was no chance for him to catch up. Hood eventually answered looking to the young woman. “Your friend here, Rogue, defeated Victor Creed.”

Logan faced the brunette visibly stunned. “You?! Sabretooth?! On your own?!” His first emotion was shock, then fear for his Marie and then pride welled up in his heart.

A shy smile formed on her lips when she saw his proud gaze. “Ya teaching me some self-defense did help a little.” He wrapped his arm over her shoulders and squeezed her lightly against his chest. “Your claws also helped.”

“Claws?” Startled Logan let go off her and stared down on her. “You even got my claws? But…”

Rogue saw his confusion. “Yeah, bone claws.”

“Bone?” Logan frowned. “I thought the claws were a part of the experiment.”

Rogue shook her head. “No. Ya always had your claws. They just weren’t that unbreakable as they’re now.” She saw the disbelief in his eyes and slipped her left hand out of the glove. Holding her fist in front of Logan three claws ripped through the skin on her knuckles. “See.”

Wolverine’s eyes widened as he inspected her hand running his fingertips over the bones. He had no recollection about the time before the adamatium was injected into his body, and afterwards he was almost sure that those weapons were implanted into his hands. This brought a complete new light on his abilities. He noted the fascinated faces of the two agents, the doctor and Josh whereas Rogue’s parents were everything else than thrilled about seeing bone claws on their daughter’s hands. “You shouldn’t do this, Marie. It hurts.”

The young woman simply shrugged. “Ya do it yourself all the time.” Somehow she was happy to be able to control her borrowed abilities, if it weren’t for her own ones.

Logan’s eyebrow moved up not liking her attitude. “If I jump from a tower would you do that, too?!”

“Depends.” Rogue finally withdrew her claws the small wounds healed immediately without leaving a scar. “At the moment it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Horror was written all over Wolverine’s face. “First off: something like that does hurt like hell! Second: Are you nuts?!” He narrowed his eyes.

She withstood his piercing stare. “Me? Ya obviously have done that?”

“It’s nothing I wanna repeat.” Both mutants kept staring onto each other. “How long does it usually take till you loose my abilities?” Logan eventually wondered.

“Are ya already tired of mah new temperament?”

Logan simply shook his head and moved his hand to his pocket finding it empty. He looked around the room finally discovering his wallet in Rogue’s pocket on the back of her trousers. Rolling his eyes he slipped his fingers in her pocket making her jump. “Hey!” After retrieving his wallet he held his open palm before her face. Without a word Rogue fetched the car keys from her front pocket and placed them in his waiting hand. Logan took a bill and offered it the brunette. “Here.”

“Why?”

Logan faced the boy for a moment. “Josh, go with your sister to the cafeteria.”

“Why? She can go on her own!” The teenager remained on his spot.

But Wolverine already spoke to his sister. “You’ll buy something tasty, Marie. And you bring it here and you’ll eat it before my eyes.”

“What the?!” Her eyes widened in disbelief. What was he thinking?!

Before curses could leave her mouth Logan fixed her with his brown eyes. “You didn’t eat one bit in the last days, did you?”

She was almost gapping at him. He knew her too well. “Ah did!” She crossed her arms before her chest.

“Now you lie into my face?!” He could smell the lie and heard her heartbeat speed up.

A light growl escaped Rogue’s throat and her eyes widened in embarrassment while Logan’s brow went up.

“You have the choice: The cafeteria or I’ll plug that IV in your arm.” Her eyes followed his to the IV tube.

“Fine.” Annoyed she took the money and stormed out of the room.

He sighed. “Hopefully it won’t be that long till she looses my abilities and my… charm.”

“Ah heard that!” came her voice from the corridor making Logan roll his eyes – he’d forgotten that she would also have his enhanced senses. Wolverine motioned Josh to follow his sister; he didn’t want her to be all by herself. The boy made a face and was about to object, when Logan moved his chin in the direction of the door, his face serious.

When both siblings were finally out of earshot Logan faced the three humans. “Normally she isn’t like that.” It was almost an apology.

“Rogue is in a terrible condition. I already suggested talking to a psychologist, but she didn’t want.” Dr. Wilson approached the mutant. “That incident at the mall traumatized her deeply.”

Logan saw real sympathy in the other man’s features. “She had seen horrible things the last years. It’s not the massacre that traumatized her, but the return of her own mutation.” He took a deep breath remembering the evening before she left the mansion. “I should have talked her out of that stupid idea back then. Fuckin' cure.”

Mrs. D’Ancanto was startled about this revelation. “She’d talked with ya before she took the cure?” This man was her daughter’s confidant, she finally realized.

Wolverine locked eyes with the woman. “Of course. It was a too grave decision to take it for the wrong reasons. I always feared she would regret it one day.”

Her father didn’t like the idea that this stranger, this mutant would have convinced his little girl to willingly remain a mutant. “At least she had a few months without it.”

“Don’t you understand your own daughter?!” Logan couldn’t comprehend how parents could close their eyes before their children’s problems. And this comment had nothing to do with optimism. “Her emotional state is worse than ever before. The day I met her she was a scared and lone girl that was desperately searching for someone who would treat her like a human being. She was sad then, but she hadn’t lost hope. Now there is nothing left, at least that’s what she thinks.” He stepped closer to Rogue’s father. “And talking it nice won’t help her. Just as much as your forced support.” He looked the other man in the eye. “I can smell your fear of her. You both are more afraid of her than the doctor or the FBI. She is not the one that changed when her mutation returned.”

“It is easy for ya to say. She can’t harm ya.”

“Marie is one of the few people on this planet, maybe even the only one that could kill me. Her touch hurts me the same way it does anybody, only difference is I recover faster.” Logan was glad he had sent the siblings away. “Marie was a terrified kid when she found out what she was. She had needed the support of her family.” He took a deep breath calming himself. “To be honest you screwed up with Marie back then when you hid her from the world, but you got a second chance with your son.” Wolverine turned his back on the couple. “Don’t throw it away.”

Logan approached the agents. “Sorry 'bout that. You had questions?”